Page 71 of Death Deals

“Point and shoot,” Cole said as he pulled out another one for him. In a flash, he opened the chamber and loaded it. “You don’t need to be a dead shot. Just hit the beast anywhere, and the bullets will do the rest.”

Kay hesitated. After popping my own ammunition in, I walked over and helped her load hers.

I glanced at Eli, and he nodded, somehow understanding my worry. I wanted her protected at all costs. I needed him to help me make sure she returned to Laurence and Zach after all this.

Arianna bounced anxiously on her toes. “Are we just going to stand here twiddling our thumbs?”

My gaze passed over everyone, seeing nerves and determination on each face. My head still ached terribly, and deep down, I was scared—probably more than I’d ever been before—but none of that mattered now. They were willing to risk everything for not only me but, essentially, the world, and I wasn’t going to let them down.

“Alright,” I said, moving carefully to the door, gun in hand. “Looks like we’re moving this party to the roof.”

After Eli transformed into his light ball, orpure state, and flew through the ceiling to get a sky view of our attackers, the rest of us hightailed it up the stairwell to the rooftop access point. As we crowded into the narrow hall behind the door, Cole signaled to us and counted down, gun at the ready.

“Three… Two… One…” He shouldered opened the door markedNo Entry, the alarm sirens blaring, and we all dashed outside. Up so high, the wind whistled as it blustered past us at a high speed. The mid-afternoon sun bounced off the flat rooftop, shining into our eyes and making it hard to see. It wasn’t an ideal place for a battle, at least on our end.

We spread out, searching the large surface for any signs of a threat, but there was not a demon or Halfling in sight. We were alone.

“I don’t understand,” Arianna shouted against the wind. “My warning charms went off. There should be something here.”

“I heard them, too,” Andre said as he rounded one of the many HVAC units. “Those disgusting Hell creatures. They’re here. Somewhere.”

When an ominous tickle ran along my spine, I knew they were right.

Eli’s light cloud zoomed over us, and as it came in for a landing, it expanded and changed shape until the muscular, angelically handsome Guardian touched the ground again. He rushed over to me immediately. Fear clear on his face.

“Anything?” I asked him.

Not saying a word, he took me by the arm and guided me toward the roof’s edge. I straightened my legs to prevent myself from getting too close, my phobia of high places rearing up again.

Eli forced me to take one more step.

My heart stopped. Not from the fifteen-story drop, either. From the dozens of Halflings scaling the side of the building like a hoard of human-sized grotesque spiders. Their ear-piercing screeches filled the air.

Oh. My. God.

“To the center!” Eli shouted to the others as we bolted toward them, his spear materializing in his grasp. “They’re climbing the walls!” He took his position in front of Kay, who was holding up her gun with shaky arms.

She glanced at me and her expression hardened with determination. She might be scared—and I didn’t blame her for that—but she wasn’t going to sit idly by anymore.

Understanding, I gave her a firm nod.

As everyone huddled together in the middle, the wave of Halflings crested the roof, snarling and shrieking as they ran for us. A flurry of gunshots rang out, mine and Cole’s, and most of the monsters in the first row disintegrated. It did little, though. The surviving ones were trampled over their fallen brothers, their deformed limbs twisting and shifting as they came for us.

A stampede of gray, misshapen beasts.

A tunnel of air pushed past us, throwing a stream of Halflings off the roof. I glanced behind me to see Arianna spinning her hands and creating another mini-tornado between her palms. She unleashed it, catapulting another group of Halflings onto the streets below.

Watching how easy it was for her to conjure something that deadly was a bit scary. She was a force to be reckoned with. Like her aunt, Marla.

As I continued to fire into the wave of creatures at random, two locked eyes with me and wailed their terrible wails, jaws unhinging and mouths opening wide. More Halflings’ head swiveled to find me, the one they’d come for.

Ah, shit.

They pivoted and rushed me, fangs chomping the air. I shot my weapon, knocked down three of them. I triggered a few empty clicks before realizing I was out of ammunition. While the battle raged around me, two creatures leaped for me. All I had was my fists.

I nailed one with a missing eye right in its empty socket.

The moment I made contact, something inside me pulsed, wanting release. My power, but still weak from before, all it provided was a dull ache behind my ribs. Somehow, the hit was enough to send the beast reeling back. I’d battled Halflings before and they were usually resilient.

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